Comments on: Start Late, Finish Earlyhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/
A Bird Blog with Kate St. JohnMon, 25 Sep 2017 19:10:05 +0000hourly1By: John Thomsonhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-56047
Tue, 27 May 2014 20:37:50 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-56047Thanks Kate. I will check photos and KDKA video.
]]>By: Kate St. Johnhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-55510
Sat, 24 May 2014 10:59:52 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-55510Sorry to hear the Gulf banding archives aren’t there. See banding photos here: http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/21/fledge-watch-coming-soon/ Also note the p.s. at the end of this blog that points to KDKA’s video.
]]>By: John Thomsonhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-55485
Sat, 24 May 2014 06:07:49 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-55485Kate where can I view the banding? I checked archives on the WildEarth falcon web cam site and there are no archives after 9:00 AM on 5-20-14 Tuesday? Did you mean that they streamed the whole banding and that was the only way to have seen it? I misunderstood you when I first saw your post about the “Surprise” that the Falcon chicks were to have in coming week when they were banded. I thought that the day and time were not released to the public as in the past as I recall? They would just turn the web cam off when they were to begin the banding and when they were done the web cam was turned back on and only some still photos would be posted?
So I missed it. Were you up in the Gulf Building for the whole thing Kate?
Oke doke.
]]>By: Kate St. Johnhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54644
Mon, 19 May 2014 00:51:08 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54644Debbie, that will be banded Tuesday 9am. You can watch the excitement on camera or at Flag Plaza.
]]>By: Debbiehttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54613
Sun, 18 May 2014 18:31:34 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54613I was wondering if these falcons will be banded and if so when?
]]>By: John Thomsonhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54214
Fri, 16 May 2014 07:40:55 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54214Thanks Kate. I will just reference you and they will see Tom’s photos when they view your blogs.
I enjoy Scott Shalaway’s weekly birding articles, “The Wild Side”, in the Sunday Post Gazette/Wheeling News- Register. His weekly radio shows now only Saturdays 8 to 10AM online WVLY AM 1370, tunein.com/radio/WKKX AM 1600-s30255/ Wheeling or tunein.com/radio/WVLY-1370-s23555/ Wheeling. I am sure you have known him for a long time. As you know he had quite a close call with a trip to the Emergency room about two and a half months ago and thankfully he is slowly recovering and back on the air.
Best Regards
]]>By: Kate St. Johnhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54164
Fri, 16 May 2014 01:16:11 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54164John Thomson, I don’t mind at all that you pass along my links. If someone wants to use Tom’s photos they should contact him via his Picasa account.
]]>By: John Thomsonhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54120
Thu, 15 May 2014 19:55:35 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54120Thank you so much Kate. You really did a lot explaining to answer my questions. The story is fascinating. You are kind to share your experience with me/others. This information will help me/others as we watch the 3 Hays eaglets this year Fledge. The Pix “Zoomies” will be working overtime. It is extraordinary that Tom Moeller could position himself to get such great shots. I guess he is going to try for an encore this year? With 3 fledging so many more opportunities but he must be preparing to spent a lot of time down there. I will reference your Fledge information/photos Tom Moeller on cam chats if you don’t mind? Does Tom Moeller mind as long as he is cited for photos?
Best Regards.
]]>By: Kate St. Johnhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54046
Thu, 15 May 2014 10:09:27 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54046John Thomson, here are some clarifying remarks about the eagle chat that said: “last year when the one surviving eaglet fledged/fell out of nest one of the parents swooped down and caught it”

“surviving” eaglet: Last year there was no camera so we have no idea how many eggs there were nor how many hatched. For all we know there may have been only one fertile egg and therefore one eaglet from the start. We surmised that there was a chick in the nest by watching (from the trail) as the parents bowed to feed something small in the nest. We learned there was one eaglet when her head was tall enough to appear above the nest rim. It is accurate to say, the “only” eaglet. “Surviving” is an assumption based on no data at all.

“fledged/fell out of nest” For definition purposes I’d like to make a distinction between fledged & fell. Fledging, however clumsy, is a purposeful nest departure when the young bird already has enough flight feathers to leave. The parents know when the young have reached the right stage of development and actually urge the young birds to leave the nest. To do this bald eagle parents offer food at a distance from the nest, “Come fly out here and you’ll get this nice fish.”
“Fell” is when the bird doesn’t have flight feathers yet and something (a wind storm, for instance) jolts the young bird out of the nest. Naked baby robins come to mind.
In between fledged and fell are the incidents when a young bird is a few days away from fledging and is frightened into leaving too soon and can’t quite fly. This happens to small birds (robins) but very rarely to bald eagles because they’re top-line predators with powerful beaks and claws and rarely have reason to leave. Young eagles (and peregrines) have to be urged to leave because they have a pretty good deal while in the nest –> an all-you-can-eat buffet!

As time-of-departure approaches bald eagles (and peregrines) watch their young closely to see if they’re about to leave. Experienced parents, like these bald eagle parents, know the signs. The parents watch. When the young bird flies for the first time the parents follow it and make sure it’s OK at its new perch. This is the same as any human parent would do while watching his toddler. Eagles do not “catch” their young because their beaks and talons are weapons that would wound their young. If you are watching from the ground at the moment the eaglet flies for the first time you will see the parent follow the fledging. Click here for a description of last year’s eaglet fledging moment (flying from the tangle of vines) with a link to Tom Moeller’s photo sequence of the flight.

p.s. I don’t know about bald eagles but from years of watching peregrines I can tell you that the parents reward their “kids” when they fly for the first time. As soon as the young bird has landed they bring it some food.

]]>By: John Thomsonhttps://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2014/05/12/start-late-finish-early/comment-page-1/#comment-54027
Thu, 15 May 2014 07:56:19 +0000http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/?p=80086#comment-54027Thanks Kate. I am impressed by the extraordinary abilities these creatures are designed with.
I remembered that the chat on the Hays Eaglecam yesterday said that last year when the one surviving eaglet fledged/fell out of nest one of the parents swooped down and caught it? Are they capable of doing that?
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